I'm with you, the only reference I have is Wizard of Oz, and it does nothing for me. Maybe someone will come up with a better integration and experience, but WoZ seems to be more for the group watching than the player. When I'm playing pinball, I want to play pinball, not watch a movie - which I can't anyway, because my eyes are on the playfield. The DMD-size LCD/LED? display on TBL or the MMr color DMD or the new DMD-size LED displays are ideal for a pinball machine.

That WoZ multi-ball clip was novel a couple of times, but I find the DMD multi-ball animations have a way more enduring charm.

From what Aurich says, sounds like Heighway are trying something different with the full LCD versus what JJP does. I'm really curious if they can find a sweet spot between integration with game play and a tedious interruption. It's a fine line in my opinion, and I'm skeptical until I see someone succeed. No one has yet in my opinion.

Just placed my pre-order for the LE. I put in the notes to have option to choose between the large or small backbox screen. I think we need to see the difference between the 2 to really make a choice. Heighway had no problem with doing it this way. I can't wait for this game!!!

A big goose egg and a kitty cat. This is not turning into the title I had hoped it would be.

Are you going to let 'not the art I hoped for' ruin the game for you? We haven't even seen the playfield, toys, or gameplay yet. If your primary factor is the artwork then your best bet is to hope for LE artwork you like. But by the time the LE art is unveiled it may be possible that they're all sold out.

Aurich's art is still of a high quality — even if you would have preferred something different. Unlike many Stern games where we want the art to simply be *not terrible* and are often let down.

Just an interesting note:

Sigourney Weaver mentioned her pinball esteem during an interview with Jill Pantozzi a year ago while being interviewed on the Legacy of Ellen Ripley, Women in Games, and Her Return in the game Alien: Isolation.

"It was that long ago, in the middle ages, – there were no video games that I know of. There might have been pinball and you know, those games. …Yeah, there was pinball! Some country – maybe Britain – I saw an Alien pinball game. That sort of – that would have been the biggest kind of success when we made the film, that we would turn into a popular pinball game."

http://www.themarysue.com/the-mary-sue-interview-sigourney-weaver-ripley-alien-isolation/

Just to redress many of the negative comments here, I really like the artwork. The egg is iconic from the first film and neither Alien nor Aliens was about splashing dozens of xenos over posters etc. One of it's strengths is its subtlety, in my opinion. If anything I'd have preferred to see the legs etc. available in black so that they don't detract from the artwork.

She's probably thinking of Space Invaders.

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I think part of the problem is we're a year past the initial expo 2014 announcement, and a year later we see the backglass image... and not much else to talk about with no playable game at the show or anything.

I know the calculated reason to announce it last year, but it just seems beyond the initial hype, it sets up a situation of difficulty living up to expectations instead of letting the game in its entirety be judged.

From all reports, what is planned to be in the game is very impressive, but we don't have the game to look at today.

Thanks. But just for the record I don't feel like the discussion is negative at all. People are just expressing what they want to see. And that's totally cool with me.

I've been as clear as I can be about what we can and can't do at the moment, but that doesn't mean all the feedback is useless or anything.

That was my assumption too. Still, very cool that she brought up pinball.

For sure. And I think Andrew has learned his lesson, no leaks on the future titles have come out. The pre-order climate has sure changed in the last year.

I saw a fair amount of what's planned at the factory during the UK Pinball Party and, if they pull it off, it will be very impressive.

so, what was it? you can't say that just to name drop...spill it!

Maybe a few Ripley custom lines to spice up the code, ey? I have heard that S Weaver is easy to work with

If she is not available, maybe Bill Paxton is?

PS! Egg or no Egg, I really dig the quality of both the side-art and the translite. The colors, the fonts, the details, all very nice.

Great work, Aurich

Man, I'm so pissed I missed the expo Heighway seminar! I was busy trying (and failing) to advance in both tournaments, then playing in the halls. I'd love to have heard the discussion (is it recorded?) and to meet the one and only Aurich! Gotta say, I love the art a lot. Can't wait to see the finished product.

Lol. The cabinet, artwork, some toys and the gameplay on Future Pinball. For me, the sounds used were the most impressive of all - I hope they all make it into the final product!

Agree with Silver. I was treated to a similar showing and I loved it

-Jeff

Unless I read that wrong. It's an interview about the recent Alien Isolation video game, & she mentions the UK company making the Alien pinball game. So yeah, really cool that she is aware of it.

Nah. There was nothing to see in 2014. So doubt that was it.

It does kind of read that way doesn't it? If she was referring to Space Invaders then this line doesn't make sense: "that would have been the biggest kind of success when we made the film, that we would turn into a popular pinball game".

Not sure if this has been mentioned before but since the large LCD is meant for spectators...how cool would it be to have the ability to switch to another input for a playfield camera ? I know I wished Stern had a large screen showing the GOT LE playfield at Expo.

Given that it will just be an HDMI display I don't see any reason why you couldn't simply unplug the main feed from the computer and plug your own HDMI camera into it instead.

Possibilities are endless...that would be cool!!!

Yeah I know the possibilities are there but make it real easy/bulletproof for on location video and now you've given operators another reason to buy it too. Also Heighway has mentioned some future online capabilities built in. Think about streaming your games on league night...or multiple location tournaments...

Pat Lawlor. I'm a bit of a fan. I love the way his layouts are 'quirky'. Perhaps by that I mean pop bumpers that are at the end of lanes and how you have to shoot between them. Perhaps it's the side shots, or horizontal play. I know we've seen an early whitewood of Alien but I hope it has evolved to include some interesting shots. The latest Stern games are a little dull. Just ramps and fast U-turns.

I'm also not a fan of randomness. I'm thinking of the bottom left part of the play-field in Alien. The ball drains down a side lane and into a covered round object. It seems like there's a chance of getting it back or losing it. It also seems as though you're never going to see the ball once it gets in there. Personally I prefer a simple out-lane either side.

Or a switch with a fixed, micro hd camera strategically placed in back box to capture gameplay...yikes!!!

Or run the football game while you play!

Better yet run a dvd of the movies!

Or just interact w gameplay.....oh wait!!!.....bet that will happen...can't wait to see/ play this thing!!!

I think you have some great points. I love WOZ and think the second screen on the apron mod has some real potential. One of the reasons I loved CV the first time I played it was the positioning of the DMD but that setup also has some trade-offs too. I'd love to see Alien (or another game) revolutionize how these displays are used, I don't know what that looks like but I'm hopeful someone finds the magic formula.

Ok why can't there be an alien on the translite?

All the way back to Alien Trilogy on Sega Saturn there is an Alien on the cover. Also recently Aliens:Colonel Marines and many others.

If a company paid more for licensing would that change things? Well for $5 million you can use the Queen, but for $1 million only the Egg?

Not arguing here, just wondering.

Honestly it's just the politics of how things worked out with Fox's brand management and legal. It just sort of is what it is, there's no real going into the logic here. Frankly a lot of it stems from before I was even involved.

I pushed for things, I got some of them, others I didn't, and then I worked with what I had. And I think I did a good job with the tools available, to be blunt about it with no false modesty.

My goal is for this game to ooze atmosphere, and to look absolutely kick ass in the dark. The lighting is going to play a big part in that, we have lots of plans there.

I know the Heighway cabinet design is different with how the art looks. When this thing is lit up in a dark room though, it's going to be like nothing else. The sides being fully lit up is going to make the stars on the side glow, it's going to feel like a porthole into space.

People have said that the egg feels like the movie poster. It does, of course. In a different way, but the connection is strong. Well I'm personally good with that. I love that poster, and the backglass being lit up means it will be like a real movie poster, which is also backlit. Not some college dorm deal with thumbtacks.

All that said — if you're looking for a different approach you might want to consider an LE.

Save to say there IS an alien on the backglass of the LE edition? (or should i say egg / alien /queen editions )
And did you have more "freedom" on the playfield art?

With how long it took to get the back glass cleared (and that is with using "their" art to create it), how does that apply to playfield and LCD content? Is it the same process?

Aurich do you know if the playfield art is the same on the standard vs. LE? I thought it would be.

Cheers.

As far as I know playfields are indentical except for the fiber optic ramps on the LE.

this thread is huge. can you tell me where I can see the current playfield layout?

^^^^that's just it pf has not been revealed as of yet I believe

there are whitewood examples---search whitewood within thread

thanks wick

found it. looks pretty darn cool. this will be my first NIB

Standard and LE will have the same playfield art. As I said earlier, I'm far along on the playfield now, but still working on it. After it's approved, whatever that process ends up being, I'll take that experience and apply it to the LE art package.

That's really all I can say at this time honestly.

Does anyone have a better quality photo of the playfield revealed at Expo (right image)?

Looking at it side by side to the whitewood that was flipped a while back there seems to be a few subtle changes such as the position of the upper right flipper and that saucer that used to be to the bottom left of the pops. Looks like the guides have also been tweaked in this area.

Loving the look of the upper left flipper shot where the ball rolls up to that target then back down for a nice clean shot to the right side target bank or TBD target.

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Here's the shot map and a clearer photo. There are actually a fair amount of changes, more shots, and more flow. The shot map came out a bit ago, so this isn't Expo news, just the physical whitewood.

Alien Shot Map

Alien Whitewood

Edit: also, I should note that the whitewood is still in a testing phase. So beyond just not having ramps yet, there are other things. Like the standups on the right are temporary, those are going to be drop targets.

Cheers Aurich, I must have missed that new map!!! Very nice...

edit: also that left lane shot has become a scoop will that be a subway then, I wonder where the ball will emerge...

I'm pretty excited about the potential of this game. I think the layout looks great. So many shots.

I can't wait to see this game "for real". I find what I have seen so far good, but I won't know how good until I see the whole thing. The translite is more or less in line with what I was expecting (which is a positive comment in that case ) but it could exceed my expectations when illuminated. Same applies to retro-lit cabinet artwork.

I must say I am an "old school" alien fan. The main interest in the first movie was not to see the monster, but to imagine it. So the Egg is just fine with me.

In other words, provided the PF artwork is not botched (and I doubt it will be from the comments from People-In-The-Know) we could have a real winner here.

Me too! Remember, this is in Wales, I haven't flipped it. I'm as excited as any of you to get to play it. 4 flippers, and they all have real and meaningful shots? Yes please. This isn't another fan layout, there's something new going on here.